Vania



(No Model. 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

B. F. SHAKESPEARE & S. J. ROSE.

BRIGK KILN.

Patented Feb. 12, 1889.

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N. PETERS, PIwioLillwgnphcr. V/ashiqm D. C.

(No Model.)

v 2 Sheets-Sheet 12.

B. E. SHAKESPEARE &-S. J. osE.

BRICK KILN.

Patented Feb. 12, 1889.

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BENJAMIN F. SHAKESPEARE AND SAMUEL J. ROSE, OF CHESTER, PENNSYL- VANIA; SAID ROSE ASSIGNOR TO SAID SHAKESPEARE.

BRICK-KILN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 397,665, dated February 12, 1889. Application filed April 19, 1887. Serial No. 235,395. We model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern..-

Be it known that we, BENJAMIN 1 SHAKES- PEARE and SAMUEL J. Ross, citizens of the United States, and residents of Chester, Del- 5 aware county, Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brick-Kilns and the Process of Drying and Burning Brick, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved method of and furnaces for drying and burning brick, otherwise commonly known as brick-kilns, its object being, among other things, to provide a kiln that will grea ly facilitate the burning of the brick, that will burn all the brick equally, so that they will be of uniform color, and to provide a kiln wherein provision is made by which a continuous and economical process of drying and burning brick may be practiced, and in which the heat from the burned brick may be employed for expelling the moisture from or drying green brick;

As a more ready understanding of the present improvements may be had by a description of the improved method and a brick-kiln in which the method may be practiced, all preliminary reference thereto will be omitted,and such description will now be 0 given in connect-ion with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is an elevation of the brick-kiln, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a vertical crosssection of the same, taken on the line :r 00 of 3 5 Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a pile of bricks, hereinafter referred to; and Fig. 4 is a plan View of one end of the kiln.

Referring to said drawings, it is to be understood that the improved kiln A consists of a brick structure having side walls, I, resting upon a suitable foundation, Z, and a roof, J, that provides a drying-chambcr, l3, and two burning-chambers, C D. These chambers are of substantially the same size and of such di- 5 mensions as to capacitate the kiln to dry, burn, and cool a large quantity of brick at one and the same time. One end of each of the burning-chambers C D terminates in a flue, E, that communicates with a smokestack, F, common to both flucs, each of which is provided with a damper, G, for controllingthe draft through said chambers into the stack. The other end of these chambers, and preferably one end of the drying-chamber B, are each provided with suitable doors, (not shown,) through which the chambers are charged and discharged oi the brick being dried and burned. As herein shown, these bunling-chambers are arranged side by side in the same horizontal plane and separated from each other by a vertical wall, H, that also rests upon a suitable foundation, Z, and which extends the entire length of the kiln, and forms a convenient support for the bottom of the drying-chamber B. This dryingchamber is preferably arranged over the burning-chambers C D, so that theheat from said burning-chambers may be economically utilized for expelling the moisture from or drying the green or freshly-molded brick with which this chamber is charged preparatory to being burned, as will hereinafter fully appear.

The roof of each of the burning-chambers C D ispro vided at suitable intervals with pas- 7 5 sages K, that open into the drying-chamberB in its opposite sides in such manner that the heat from said burning-chambers is properly directed upon the green brick placed therein. These heat-passages are each provided with suitable dampers, 7o, that are operated by handles projecting to the exterior of the kiln structure. The roof J of the kiln is also provided with passages L, extending from the drying-chamber to the open air, so as to per- 8 5 mit the escape of the moisture from the green brick, which passages are also controlled by suitable dampers or valves, Z.

The process of burning brick from what has thus far been said with relation to the arrangement of the chambers of the kiln will be as follows: One of the burningchambers, as 0, will be charged in any suitable manner with a quantity of brick which have previously been dried, so that all the moisture of 5 the green brick has been evaporated. The dried brick will preferably be arranged within the ihamberin such manner as to leave a space between adjacent bricks and expose as much of the surface of each brick to the heated 10o air as is commensurate with economy of space. An arrangement such as we have found desirable is best shown in Fig. 8, wherein the pile of brick is composed of layers of three bricks separated a distance apart and arranged in alternate directions. The dryingchamber B is simlarly charged with. green or fresh-molded brick and the charging-doors of the chambers 13 and C are closed. lleat will then be generated in the chamber C in any suitable manner, but preferably so that all the brick therein will be equally burned, the damper G being regulated according as it is requisite to obtain more or less draft. After the brick in the burning-ehamber have been sufficiently burned the generation of heat therein will be stopped and the brick and chamber allowed to cool. The heat in this burning-chamber (i and that radiating from the burned brick, instead, however, of being allowed to escape by the stack F, will at such time as the judgment of the attendant may dictate be allowed to pass into the dryingchamber B through either or all of the passages K, leading from said chamber 0, by opening the corresponding dampers 7:, and allowed to escape from said chamber when desired by opening either or all of the dampers Z, controlling the roof-passages L. Thus the heat which would otherwise pass from the burning-chamber C by its damper G into the stack and escapeinto the open air is utilized to dry the green brick instead of sun-drying them, so as to prepare them for burning.

The brick dried in the drying-chamber are transferred therefrom to the other burningchamber, D, and said drying-chamber is then recharged with another quantity of green or freshly-molded brick. Heat will then be generated in the burning-chamber D and the brick therein be burned and the green brick in the drying-chamber dried in the manner before described. Thus it will be seen that the arrangement of chambers is such that a continuous process of drying, burning, and cooling bricks may be practiced in a single structure without the necessity of waiting longer between each burning than is necessary to remove the cooled brick from one chamber and recharge it with dried brick from the dryingchamber and recharging said drying-chamber with green brick, while the burned brick in the other burning-cliamber is allowed to remain to 0001 during the burning operation in the first-named burning-ehamber.

In order to expedite the charging of the several chambers of the kiln, the transfer of the dried brick from the drying-chamber to one of the burning-chambers, and the removal of the burned brick therefrom, we have provided simple and effective means by which the necessary labor in performing these operations is reduced to the minimum. To this end there are provided fiat platform-trucks N, adapted at the molding-machine with green or freshly molded bricks, and be from thence run directly into the drying-chamber After these bricks have been dried sufficiently the trucks with their load may be run out of said chamber and transferred to one of the burningchambers (l I) to be burned without disturbing the load in any manner, and from thence, after the bricks have been sufticien tl y burned, the trucks with their load will be removed to the storing-yard or place of shipment. The moving of the trucks N with their lead will be facilitated by providing each of the chambers B, C, and l) with a track or railway, N, that extends the entire length of the'chambers from end to end, upon which the trucks N are adapted to run. These trucks N, with their lead of bricks, may be run to the entrance of the burning-chambers and onto the tracks therein in any suitable manner. As herein shown, we have provided a transfertruck, Q, upon which is mounted a short line of track, M. This truck Q will preferablybe run on a railway, 0, extending parallel with the front of the kiln, but depressed su ffi ei entl y below the level. of the railways M to permit the track M on the transfer-truck, when in proper prosition in front of either of the entrances to the chambers. I, to form a continuation thereof, whereby the trucks N and their load maybe run onto or from said transfer-truck Q from or into said chambers.

The tracks or railway 0 may of course extend to any point desired, as the necessities of transfer, shipment, or storage may require. The trucks N,with theirload, may also be run to the drying-chamber B in any suitable manner, either by means of an inclined and elevated track, P, (shown in dotted lines, Fig. l,) as is obvious, or the transfer-truck Q,with loaded truck N, may be elevated from the railway 0, when in proper p0sition,by asuitable elevating device, T, herein represented in dotted lines in said figure as consisting of the ordinary hydraulic cylinder, 20, and pissten 2], the action of which is too well known to need further description. Such an arran gemen t will greatly facilitate the transfer of the truck N and its lead of dried bricks from the drying-chamber l to either of the burningchambers (l 1).

In order to confine the heat within the burning-chaml ers (I D, as well as to prevent the extreme heat from affecting the runninggear of the trucks N, they are provided with open. bottoms and the side walls are slightly overhung from the foundation Z, so as to form projecting ledges 22, extending the length of the chambers.

The platforms of the trucks that are run into or under the bottoms of the chambers are wide enough to extend under these ledges 22 and entirely across the under side of the chambers, so that when the trucks are in posi tion their platforms will practically close the bottom of the chambers, as seen in Fig. 2.

In order that the bottom of the chambers U D may be closed more eflectually than the free running of the trucks N in and out of said chambers under the ledges 22 Will permit, the trucks or their platforms may be lifted vertically, as to cause the longitudinal cdgesot' the platforms to bear againstthe under side of the ledges. For this purpose the track or railway M, as herein shown, is made in sections m, long enough to support a truck, and which sections are mounted upon sleepers n, adapted to be raised or lowered by a lever, o, guided in suitable ways,r, which also form stops upon which the sleepers rest be- ;fore the track-sections are raised. One end of the lever 0 ismounted on afulcrunnp, and the other end engaged by a vertical rod, .9, passing at the outside of the kiln through a guide, 1, that projects from the side walls, I, over which guide the screw-threaded end of the rod .9 is provided with a nut, 14, by which the rod is raised or lowered to cause the lever o to lift or lower the track-sections, as is obvious.

A single lever may be arranged to lift each section of track, as shown; or two or more may be provided for the purpose. The longitudinal edge of the platforms of the trucks N will also preferably be provided with a seat to hold a roll, 23, of fire-proof material, by which, when the truck is raised to close the bottom of the chamber 0 or D, the joint between the ledges and the platform will be rendered air-tight.

No description has been given herein to the mode of generating heat in theburning-chambers, as any mode found desirable may be em ployed. 'e prefer, however, to employliquid hydrocarbons as fuel for generating heat within these chambers. suitable distances apart a series of hydrocarbon-burners, R, projecting through the side walls, I, of the kiln into the burning-chambers. These burners may be of any of the known forms and operating in accordance with any of the methods thought best suited to the purpose of lnlrning brick. By the use of these burners we are enabled to regulate to a nicety the color of the brick, and also to burn them uniformly.

Bythe useof liquid fuel we avoid thee-hemical action of the impure gases arising from coal during burning, and by which we avoid 1' or prevent the staining or whitening ot the brick after having been exposed to the air.

Thus we may arrange at While only one drying-chamber has been described, it is obvious that two or more may be employed. So, too, there may be any number of burning-chambers, these changes obviously not affecting the herein-described process of drying and burning brick.

\Ve claim-- 1. The herein-described kiln, consisting of a single structure providing an upper horizontal chamber and two lower horizontal chambers, having tines connecting the lower chambers with the upper chamber, fines connecting each of said lower chambers with a stack or chimney, and a valve for alternating the connection with said chimney, heating means for heating the lower chambers alternatcl y, and means for removing the brick from. the upper chamber to either of the lower chambers, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a horizontally-e3:- tending kiln having an open bottom and an end opening, tracks below the bottom extending the length of the kiln, trucks with platforms for su portin g the brick to be burned, adapted to be moved into and out of the kiln with the brick through the end opening and to be lifted to close the bottom of the kiln, and a lever for lifting said platforms against the bottom, substantially as described.

3. The herein-described kiln, consisting of a drying-chan'rber and two b urnin g-chambers, each having flues comnmnicating with the drying-chamber and provided with open bottoms, plat'form-cars for closing the bottoms of said chambers, rail-sections supporting said cars, and means for raising the sections and cars, substantially as described.

4.. The combination, with a chamber of a kiln having side ledges, 22, of platform-ears supporting the bricks, adapted to be raised against said ledges to close the bottom of the 9 chambers, track-sections supporting said cars, and levers for raising the ears and track-sec tions, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing wi tnesses.

BENJr-UHIN l1. SHAKESPEARE. SAMUEL J. ROSE.

\V i tnesses:

SAM. Lvox's, Davin F. Ross. 

